The Master's program "Professional Public Decision Making" is a two-year, interdisciplinary course of study for the acquisition of comprehensive action competencies in dealing with complex, public decision making situations and problems.
Professional Public Decision-Making
Make a good decision.
Learn to decide
The study concept provides a close integration of scientific-theoretical and practice-oriented study elements as well as learning content.
An offer of philosophical, economic, political science and law perspectives on topics of public decision making with an interdisciplinary approach.
Find out more about MAKE, the interdisciplinary and unique master's program that has been successfully offered at the University of Bremen since 2011.
Decision Making at the University of Bremen - overview of all offers
Make a good decision - with MAKE, the master's program "Professional Public Decision Making".
With MAKE you qualify for a variety of responsible positions. You will acquire comprehensive skills for analyzing and solving complex decision-making situations. In an interdisciplinary study course, a multitude of new perspectives will open up for you.
The innovative profile aims to meet the increasing demand for competent decision-makers.
The core idea of MAKE is to provide a systematic scientific education for decision-making by bringing together different scientific disciplines:
» economics
» political sciences
» law
» philosophy
» sociology
» psychology
The program enables the students to develop solutions to complex problems through the use of multidisciplinary collaboration.
The program is aimed at bachelor's graduates in law, political science, economics, and philosophy, as well as graduates of interdisciplinary bachelor's programs in which one of these subjects was studied as a major.
Through the collaboration of the departments 6, 7, 8, and 9, the program offers expertise from each of the disciplines while providing interdisciplinary connections. The focus on the topic of "decision making" is the unique selling point of the program.
» First professional university degree in one of the following fields of study: law, economics, political science, philosophy, or a course of study that does not reveal significant differences in content, scope, and requirements from those
» Study achievements in the amount of at least 180 CP(at the application deadline at least 130 CP)
» an at least 2,7 grade point average of graduation or at the time of application
» English language skills (at least B2)
» Letter of motivation
Quick information
» Decision-making competence for administration, politics, companies and NGOs
» Interdisciplinarity: law, economics, social sciences and cultural studies
» Own focus within the offering and through interdisciplinary study content
» Study abroad options: Erasmus, DAAD, etc.
» Master of Arts (M.A.) with qualification for doctoral studies
» Standard period of study: 4 semesters (120 CP)
» Start: every autumn
© Michael Ihle / Universität Bremen
Competence profile
You will acquire knowledge and skills to come to reflective decisions in complex decision making situations:
» Professional knowledge of the represented study disciplines for the management of decisions
» Instruments for the acquisition, analysis and evaluation of complex decision problems
» Analysis of the respective perspectives and use for finding solutions
» Knowledge and application of practical decision making and decision management methods
» Repertoire to improve your personal decision making behaviour
» Dealing with problems in teams
Study organization
- Modularized study program
- Duration of study: 2 years (4 semesters)
- Full-time master's degree program
- Mandatory internship
Application
- Application deadline for each winter semester is June, 15th
The master's degree program qualifies students to assume management positions
» in public administration
» in political parties
» in non-governmental organizations (NGO's),
» in associations,
» as well as in public and private companies.
Overview of study modules
(12 Credits, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Fehrler)
- Knowledge of the probabilistic fundamentals of decision theories
- Insights into the fundamentals of microeconomic modeling
- Knowledge of psychological models of judgment and decision making
- Application of analytical methods
(9 Credits, Prof. Dr. André W. Heinemann)
- Overview of economic theories concerning the
public activities within a social market economy - Ability to understand basic principles of economic action
- Main features of different economic policy concepts
(9 Credits, PD Dr. Tanja Pritzlaff-Scheele)
- Knowledge of fundamental theoretical concepts for the analysis of individual and collective decision making
- Understanding of elementary techniques and methods of application and interpretation of law
(9 Credits, Prof. Dr. Thorsten Poddig)
- Fundamentals of decision theory
- Fundamentals of game theory
- Application to concrete decision problems
(9 Credits, Prof. Dr. André W. Heinemann)
- Knowledge of the economic and political framework of collective decision-making
- Knowledge of the economic theories and the functions of the state, as well as the ability to analyze, criticize and use argumentatively the central theories of democracy
- Ability to understand connections between decision-making processes and decision outcomes in the form of approaches to solving social and economic problems
(9 CP, Prof. Dr. Georg Mohr)
- Knowledge of the ethical and legal framework of collective decision-making
- Ability to analyze and evaluate problems of collective decision-making with regard to moral conflicts
- Knowledge of the legal instruments available in this context
(6 Credits, PD Dr. Tanja Pritzlaff-Scheele)
- Knowledge on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, fundamentals of data collection and analysis
- Detailed insights into different types of research designs that are commonly applied in empirically oriented research
- Capability to develop adequate research designs
- Ability to conceptualize and run small empirical studies
- Knowledge and awareness of ethical and legal issues, data protection regulations and processes
(15 Credits, Prof. Dr. Dagmar Borchers)
- Ability to work independently on an interdisciplinary project issue
- In-depth specialist knowledge in the respective subject area to be worked on
- Acquisition of key qualifications, especially with regard to project management and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary manner
- Ability to present the results developed in the project in an adequate form to an audience
(12 Credits, Sandra Kohl)
- Experience of work situations and work requirements in a relevant professional field of activity
- Ability to analyze problems and tasks that arise in a specific job on the basis of previously acquired technical qualifications and to develop and implement possible solutions
- Ability to identify complex decision-making problems in practice and to analyze them with regard to approaches to action and
solution strategies - Ability to present internship experiences and reflect on them in the context of what has been learned in the course of study
(30 Credits, PD Dr. Tanja Pritzlaff-Scheele)
- Ability to develop a scientific research study (research question, structure, research design)
- Application of scientific research methods and ability to deal with conceptual and other problems during scientific research
- Ability to plan a own research and to develop a detailed work and time schedule
- Ability to explain the research plan in advance and to discuss the research project and results with experts
- Knowledge of subject areas, work situations and work requirements in a relevant professional field of activity
- Insights into the different levels of decision-making (municipal, federal, EU, international)
- Understanding of economic, legal, political and ethical aspects of practical decision-making situations and problems in the public sector
- Ability to discuss practical decision-making situations and problems with experts and to reflect critically on them in the context of theoretical input from other courses